Worship Metal Album/EP Of The Week – King Leviathan – The Shrine

For Fans Of Testament, Heathen & 3 Inches Of Blood

Posted on May 11, 2015 by Chris Jennings in Features, Reviews

Source // KingLeviathan

Worship Metal’s Recommendation of the Week comes courtesy of King Leviathan’s new EP, The Shrine.

It’s clear that Brighton Thrashers King Leviathan worship the almighty creators of Heavy Metal as their new EP, The Shrine, is a smörgåsbord of the styles and sounds that make our beloved genre such a thrilling proposition.

Fusing the Death/Thrash of modern Testament, the Power/Thrash of Iced Earth, 3 Inches Of Blood’s bombastic Speed Metal, Grand Magus’ epic narratives and the all encompassing mastery of the mighty Judas Priest; The Shrine teases snippets of them all. Opening with a bone-chilling intro, King Leviathan’s penchant for the big and the bold becomes instantly apparent and The Shrine makes an instant impression when first track proper, “Wormwood”, crashes in. Death Metal growls are counteracted with soaring, Power-Metalized vocals, battering-ram drums, infectious melodies and a mid-paced bludgeoning. It’s epic, it’s exuberant and it sums up the pure Thrash Metal power contained within The Shrine‘s 5 impressive tracks.

“Born Of The Blackest Hearts” begins in suitably anthemic fashion, complete with mesmerising chorus, before descending into a deathly beatdown while “Skin From Bone” opens with a lead that wouldn’t have sounded out of place on Death’s Spiritual Healing before returning to a heads-down Thrash attack and another soaring chorus that lodges itself permanently in your brain-box. “Madness Made Divine” maintains the quality, recalling the drama and deftness of Melodic Thrash heroes Heathen at their heaviest and “The Shrine” marks a fitting end to an undeniably striking set of songs; bravura, cock-sure and the kind of crushing semi-ballad Machine Head deliver so well.

Take our advice. Grab a copy of The Shrine, crack open a cold beer, maybe find a lion, skin it and wear it’s hide as a loincloth! This is true Metal and we demand that you dig out that battle-vest and bullet-belt and check these guys out.

Whether you worship Thrash, Death or Power Metal, King Leviathan cater for all! 8/10